Means for carrying and handling torpedoes on vessels.



PATENTED APR. 17, 1906.

T. J. MORIARTY.

MEANS FOR CARRYING AND HANDLING TORPEDOES ON VBSSELS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-10, 1904.

6 SHBETS-SHBBT 1.

J M g I @551 i; uttom?w w vl meooa 0' PATENTED APR.17, 1906.

T. J. MORIARTY. ING AND HANDLING TORPEDOES ON VESSELS APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10. 1904..

MEANS FOR CARRY Mums-sum 2.

Qwblmcooe/a PATENTED APR. 17, 1906.

s SHEETS-SHEET s 35 (tom law 1 l v l .T. J. MORIARTY. ING AND HANDLING TORPEDOES 0N VESSELS. APPLIQATION FILED AUG-l0. 1904.

MEANS FOR GARRY PATENTED APR. 17, 1906.

T. J. MORIART-Y.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10, 1.904.

6 SHEBTSSHEET 4 Oll MEANS FOR CARRYING AND HANDLING TORPEDOBS 0N VBSSELS.

- PATENTED APR. 17, 1 906.

T. J. MORIARTY. MEANS FOR CARRYING AND HANDLING TORPEDOBS 0N VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10, 1904.

BSHEETS-SHBET l vi f-neooeo No. 818,390. PATENTED APR.17, 1906.

T. J. MORIARTY. MEANS FOR CARRYING AND HANDLING TORPEDOES ON VE$SELS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10 1904,

6 $HEETS-SHBBT 6.

. L m M QWM q vil -mcoa 0 a (QM/newton? UN ITED STATES PATENT FFI CIEI.

MEANS FOR CARRYING AND HANDLING TORPEDOES ON VESSELS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 1'7, 1906.

Application filed August 10,1904. Serial No. 220,261.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THoMAs JOSEPH Moni- ARTY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newport, in the county of Newport and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMeans for Carrying and Handling Torpedoes on Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a means for stowing or carrying torpedoes on a boat or vessel provided with means for expelling or launching them, the principal objects being to provide the boat or vessel with a magazine containing water and connected with the water of flotation through a sea-valve. The torpedoes are submerged or float in the water in the magazine. When the water in the magazine is connected with the water of flotation, the addition or expenditure of the torpedoes does not affect the total weight of the boat nor shift its center of gravity, and this is of great importance in submarine or submergible boats, and a torpedo afloat may be moved or shifted as required with very little expenditure of power or work.

In the present case the invention is illustrated and described as applied to a submarine torpedo-boat, for which it is especially well adapted.

In carrying out the invention in its preferred form and as applied to a submarine boat a tight and strong upright magazine is constructed in the boat, being connected at its bottom through a port or conduit controlled by a sea-valve or the like with the water of flotation and having at the top, preferably in the deck or crown sheets ofthe hull of the boat, a door or doors to admit the torpedoes which are superposed and submerged in the magazine. At its front end the magazine is connected with the expulsion tube or tubes, preferably two, one above the other. When the boat is at the surface or awe sh and the sea-valve is open, the water will rise to a level in the magazine corresponding to the level of the water of flotation and the doors in the deck may be opened for charging the magazine with torpedoes. It will be understood that the door or doors at which the torpedoes are admitted will be of such a character as to allow the escape of air from the magazine, so that the water may rise in the latter, but so that they can be closed air-tight if and when desired. An upright endless chain device is employed to move the admitted torpedoes up or down to their proper positions in the magazine, and when placed swinging guides which turn about upright hinge-axis are swung into place to properly space or distance the superposed submerged torpedoes. These guides aline the upper and lower torpedoes with their respective expulsion-tubes. Suitable means are provided for moving the alined torpedoes from their normal positions when placed in the magazine into the expelling position and also means for expelling them. The magazine has or may have means for lighting it and tight doors in its inboard end for withdrawing torpedoes to the interior of the boat for inspection. In connection with such doors a traveling carriage is provided for receiving the torpedo when withdrawn.

The various details of construction of the device will be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal axial section, on a relatively small scale, of the forward part of a submarine boat provided with the invention; and Fig. 1 is a plan of the doors opening into the top of the magazine. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the same scale as Fig. 1 and taken substantially at line x in Fig. 1. These general views illustrate, on a small scale, the relative positions of the parts within the boat. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2, the section being taken at line 00 in Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 4 are enlarged horizontal sections of the magazine, showing the details of constructions. These views are alike except that they show the torpedo and its shifting mechanism in diflerent positions. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of the magazine on the same scale as Figs. 4 and P. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the barriers which check the forward movement of the torpedo into the expulsion-tube. Fig. 7 is a front view of this mechanism. Fig. 8 is a cross-section of the rack device, which starts the torpedo forward. Fig. 9 is a similar cross-section of the rack device, showing its propellingpinion. Fig. 10 is a detail view of the entrance of the expulsion-tube. Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the ejector.

1 designates the hull of the boat, which may be of substantially the ordinary shape or of any suitably-modified form. In the construction here illustrated there are two relatively short and superposed expulsiontubes 2, each provided with an outward-closing cap or door 3 and independent means for expelling a torpedo.

4 is the upright magazine built in the boat and shown herein as extending from a floor 5 up to the deck or crown-sheets of the hull of the boat. The crosssection Fig. 3 shows the side plates of the magazine curved inward to impart strength to resist internal pressure, and these sides are provided with small glazed openings 4 to inspect the interior of the magazine. The forward or outboard end of the magazine connects with the expulsion tubes and houses their inboard ends. The magazine is connected below by a conduit 6 with the water of flotation, and this inlet is controlled by a sea-valve or look of some kind 7. The valve 7 may be opened and closed by means of a lever S on a rockshaft 9, an arm 10 on said shaft being coupled to the stem of the sea-valve. Means of the usual or any kind may be employed for holding the lever in position both when the valve is open and when it is closed. In the deck of the boat are charging-doors 11 to afford access to the magazine for charging it with torpedoes. Within the magazine are pairs of swinging guides 12, which turn about upright hinging axes. There are three pairs of these guides shown herein. Each section or leaf is secured to an upright bar 13, stepped in suitable bearings above and below. Fig. 3 shows these guides closed and also the semicircular cavities in their free edges, whereby when the members of a pair are closed the concavities form a circular openingof such size as to embrace, but not tightly, the body of a torpedo. The lower torpedo is supported by a permanent cradle 12, and when it is proposed to charge the magazine the members of these pairs of guides are swung open and back, like gates, so as to leave the chamber of the magazine free and clear, and this is effected by means which will now be described with especial reference to Figs. 4 and 5. J

At the side of the magazine is a handwheel or crank 14 on a shaft 15, extending into the magazine through a stufling-box 16 and carrying at its inner end a beveled gearwheel 17, which meshes with a corresponding gear-wheel 18 on a short horizontal shaft 19, rotating in brackets 20, projecting from the inner side of the magazine wall. This shaft 19 also carries a worm 21, which engages the teeth of a wheel 22 on one of the upright hinge-bars 13 of the guides 12 at this operating-point. On this bar 13 is an arm 23, coupled by a link 25 with an arm 24 on the bar 13 of the other guide of this pair, whereby the two guides are swung simultaneously. These arms and their connecting link are near the bottom of the magazine and do not interfere with the placing of the torpedoes and the shifting of the same up or down. The upright hinge-bars of the several pairs of guides 12 are provided at their upper parts with arms 26, and these arms are connected at each side by links or connecting-rods 27, so that when one pair of guides is opened or closed all will be opened or closed simultaneously.

The middle and forward guides 12 at each side are coupled, respectively, by links 28 and 29, which have a space between them, when the guides are closed, suflicient to form a slot guideway for the T-shaped guide-piece t on the torpedo when the latter leaves the magazine.

Within the magazine and at the sides thereof are disposed two pairs of upright endless chains or belts 30, the belts of the pair being wide enough apart to permit a torpedo to pass, and 011 these belts are projecting lugs 31 to engage the body of the torpedo above and below, so that when a torpedo is placed in the magazine in proper relation to said lugs and the endless belts are operated the torpedo may be moved up or down thereby. The sheaves 32, carrying these belts, are journaled in brackets 33 at the top and bottom of the magazine, and the lower sheaves at the respective sides of the magazine are fixed on shafts 34, one of said shafts being driven by bevel-gears 35 36 from a shaft 37, extending out through a stufliLg-box 38 in the wall of the magazine and provided on its outer end with a hand-wheel or crank 39. The two shafts 34 are driven in unison by means of a cross-shaft 42 and gears 40 and 41.

It may be stated here that a torpedo T is shown in full lines in Figs. 2, 4, and 4 and that four superposed torpedoes in the magazine are indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The magazine, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, is designed to house four torpedoes; but the invention is not limited in this respect.

Above the inboard end of the expulsiontube are disposed two cooperating clamps 43, which serve to form a barrier to stop and hold the T-shaped guide i on the torpedo after the latter shall have finished its initial outboard movement. These arms are swung aside to remove the barrier to the advance of the torpedo by the rocking of a crank-shaft 44, which is rocked by a reciprocating rod 45. This rod passes out of the magazine through a stuffing-box 46 and is actuated by a lever 47.

Pivoted above the entrance to each tube 2 is an arm 43 normally located between the clamps 43 and near the war-nose if when the torpedo is at rest within the magazine. The details and operation of this arm will be explained hereinafter in connection with the release and expulsion of the torpedo.

The parts above described relate mainly to the reception and storage of the torpedoes, which when placed in the magazine will ocend of the arm on the inner end of the shaft 50 is slotted to engage a lug 53, Figs. 8 and 9, on the tube 49, and when the latter is rocked a hook 54 is depressed, so as to engage the open guard t at the tail or stem of the torpedo. This hook 54 is not secured directly to the tube 49, but to the inboard end of a rack-bar 55, which is mounted slidably in the tube and rocks with the latter. The teeth on the rack-bar are exposed through a slot in the tube and gear with a pinion 56, carried by a shaft 57, which projects out through and has a bearing in a stuffing-box 58 and has an operating crank or wheel 58 By rotating the shaft 57 the torpedo will be moved by the engaged hook 54 from the inboardposition (seen in Fig. 4) to the advanced position (seen in Fig. 4 but obviously this cannot be effected until the barrier at 43 has been removed and it is desired to expel the torpedo. A spring 49 rotates the tube 49 back again when it is freed. A crank-arm 59 (seen back of the hook 54 in Fig. 4) is in the path of said hook and is fixed on the upper end of an upright shaft 60, mounted to rock in bearings at 61. The hook in its movement to its normal position (seen in Fig. 4) acts on said crankarm 59. On the lower part of the shaft 60 is another crank-arm 62, which is coupled by an oblique transverse link 63 to a crank-arm 64 on an upright rock-shaft 65, mounted in a bearing 66 at the opposite side of the magazine. In the path of the hook 54 when it moves forward is a crank-arm 67 on an upright rock-shaft 68, mounted in a bearing 69 on the same side with the shaft 60., and on this shaft 68 near its lower end is a crank-arm 70, which is coupled by an oblique transverse link 73 with a crank-arm 71 on an upright rock-shaft 72 at the opposite side of the mag-.

azine near the shaft 65. By this device the hook 54 rocks the shafts and 72 to and fro. Carried by arms 74 on the respective shafts 65 and 72 is an ejector E, which will be hereinafter more specifically described. It will suflice to say here that when the hook 54 is moved inboard to its normal position (seen in Fig. 4) it actuates the crank-arm 59 and, through the mechanism described, swings the ejector E to the inoperative position, (seen in Fig. 4,) and when said hook moves forward in shifting the torpedo it impinges upon and actuates the crank-arm 67 and through it and the mechanism described swings the ejector to its operative position behind the torpedo, as seen in Fig. 4.

It will be noted that in the above descrip tion only one set of devices for moving the torpedo forward and one set of devices for swinging an ejector into position have been described; but there will be one set of each of these devices or mechanisms for each expulsion-tube. The mechanisms being identical a description of one will suffice. It need only be said that the mechanisms for moving the torpedo forward are wholly independent; but as the upright shafts 60, 65, 68, and 72 are common to both mechanisms the ejectors will both be moved simultaneously, although only one will be utilized.

For each expulsion-tube there is a lever 80, fulcrumed in a bracket 81- on the side of the magazine. Normally this lever is swung around parallel with the side of the magazine, but when the door 3 is opened by means of the mechanism hereinafter described the lever is turned on its pivot automatically, so as to impinge on and depress the startinglever t of the torpedo-motor and put the latter in operation after the torpedo has been moved forward by the arm 54. This is the position of the torpedo seen in Fig. 4*. The opening of the outboard cap 3 is effected, as herein shown, from either side of the magazine by either of two crank-wheels 82 through suitable intermediate gearing which will be described. The shaft 83 of the Wheel, mounted in bearings 84, has a gear-wheel 85, which gears, through wheels 86 and 87, with a shaft 88, which drives, through bevel-gears 89 and 90, a transverse shaft 91. This shaft carries a bevel-wheel 92, which gears with a similar wheel 93 on a central shaft 94. The outboard cap 3 has at its hinge-axis, Fig. 1, a worm-wheel 95, and this wheel gears with a worm or screw 96, driven by the shaft 94 through bevel-gears 96 and 97. Both of the wheels 82 operate the shaft 94 through like or suitable gearing.

One end of the cap 3 has on it a slotted lug 98, to which is coupled a rod 99, provided with an adjustable coupling-piece 99 and connected through a crank-shaft 1.00 with a horizontal rod 101, extending inboard nearly throughout the length of the magazine and coupled operatively at its inboard end with a cock 102 in an air-supply pipe 103. This pipe through swiveled connections 104 supplies compressed air by other fluid under pressure to the ejector E, the piston of which taking behind the torpedo, as in Fig. 4, im-. parts the expulsion movement to the torpedo. The shaft 101 carries a lug 105, which is connected, through an upright lever 105 with a crank-arm 106 on the lever 80, whereby when the cap 3 is swung open the rod 101 acts to swing the lever 80 to one side out of the path of the starting-lever If and up near the side of the magazine, so as to be out of the way. The closing of the cap 3 restores said lever to its transverse position. The airsupply pipe 103 where it connects with the compressed-air reservoir outside of the magazine is controlled by a valve 107.

The arm 43 is held rigid in order to retain the war-nose by means of a bolt 108, as more clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7, which slides in a bracket 109 on the upper forward faces of the clamps 43, and is actuated by a bell crank lever 110, pivoted on an upright shaft 111, one of whose arms is slotted and engages a pin 112 on the bolt. The other arm of the bell-crank lever is in the path of the crank-arm on the shaft 100, so that when the rod 99 is thrust backward by the opening of the cap 3 the crank-arm strikes the free arm of the bell-crank lever, causing its other arm to draw the bolt 108 from the front of the arm 43, and with the same movement of the rod 99 the lever 80 is swung into the path of the starting-lever t and the motor put in operation, while the third act of the rearwise thrust of the rod 99 is to open the valve between the pipes 103 and 104 and to fill the ejector E with compressed air when the valve 107 is opened. After this operation the torpedo is advanced by the rack-bar 55 and the arm 54 into the position shown in Fig. 4 when the block t strikes the barrier 43 and is held there until the release from the tube is desired, when the operation of the lever 47 separates the clamps 43 sufliciently to allow the block 15 to pass. These clamps are coupled to open in unison by the arrangement shown in Fig. 7, where it will be seen that the crank-arm 113 of the shaft 44 is elongated above its pivotal point with the clamps and a connecting-rod 114 links it to a lever 115 on the other side of the magazine, which is attached to the companion clamps, and it will be readily seen that the withdrawal of the right-hand lever causes a similar movement of the other.

The disposition of the swinging arm 43 is shown in Figs. 1 and 10, where it will be seen that with the forward movement of the torpedo the arm is forced outward and upward, engaging the propeller on the war-nose and holding it a ainst rotation, and with the final expulsion of the torpedo the arm is forced up into the cavity 116 in the upper side of the tube 2 by the torpedo itself, where a springlatch 117 engages an indentation 118 near the outer end of the arm and holds it in the cavity and prevents its interference with the motive propeller. This latch is operated for disengagement from the outside of the magazine by a crank-arm 118*, which straddles the bolt of the latch to force it back against its spring to cause it to drop the arm when other torpedoes are put into position for firing. The crank-arm 118 is carried by a shaft 119, which passes through the wall of the magazine, and on the other side is provided with an arm to operate it.

The ejector E is shown in detail in Fig. 11, where it will be seen that the cylinder 120 contains a piston 121, the forward end of whose rod 122 has a head 122 to bear on the rear end of the torpedo, and the rod is embraced by a sprin 123 to return the piston to the rear end of t e cylinder when the compressed air is released. The air is admitted through the pipe 104.

There may be occasions when it may be desirable or necessary to remove a torpedo from the magazine and take it into the boat itself or in case a supply of spare torpedoes is carried within the boat and it is desired to put the same into the magazine. To provide for such emergencies, the rear wall of the magazine is provided with doors or manholes 125, of any suitable constructionand which may also" afford ingress to the magazine. In Fig. 1 is shown a movable upright stand which can be manipulated in various ways, and in case it is desired to draw any of the torpedoes from the magazine into the interior of the boat, if it should be one of the middle ones, it is to be supposed that the boat is awash and the water low enough in the magazine to prevent any overflow into the boat when the upper door is opened. The sea-valve 7 is securely closed and the torpedo floated to the surface of the water in the magazine-and elevated by the belts 30 until in line with the door, when it is seized by the tail and drawn out of the magazine and onto the frame 126, which is composed of several semicircular arms 127, sliding vertically on a post 128, carried by a truck 129, running on rails on the deck 5. The frame 126 carries a pinion 131, controlled by a lever 132 and having a ratchet-wheel 133, which is locked by a pawl 134, the pinion gearing with a rack-bar 135 on the post, which affords means for raising and lowering the frame. The post and its truck are moved fore-andaft along the deck by means of a pinion 136, playing in a rack-bar 1.37, the pinion being carried by the upper end of a shaft 138 and IIC the latter operated by a hand-wheel 139 and the beveled gears 140 at the lower end of the shaft. A hinged strap 141 is then brought down over the torpedo at the guide-block t and the torpedo is thus held at its longitudinal center.

Besides being used to flood the magazine the conduit 6 might be used as a submarine by opening a way through it for a diver.

This may be effected as follows, namely: Force the water out of the magazine by-compressed air and close the sea-valve, then open the door 125, so as to allow the air-pressure to equalize and permit the diver to enter the magazine. The door 125 is now closed and the sea-valve opened, when the water will enter the magazine against some air-pressure therein. opening in the bottom. Obviously for this use of the magazine it will be well to use the ordinary gate-valve as a sea-valve. The particular form of sea-valve is not important to this invention.

The particular form of the magazine may be varied to suit the circumstances or conditions, and its location in the boat may also be varied. It Will be obvious also that equivalents of the various mechanisms described may be employed with good results.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A boat or vessel having in it a watertight magazine to contain torpedoes, said magazine having a valve-controlled connection with the sea for flooding it, an inlet for torpedoes and an expulsion tube for the latter.

2. A boat or vessel having in it a watertight magazine to contain torpedoes, said magazine having a valve-controlled connection at its bottom with the sea, and at its top a charging-door in the hull of the boat for the insertion of torpedoes.

3. A boat or vessel having in it a watertight magazine capable of storing a plurality of torpedoes, said magazine having a valvecontrolled connection at its bottom with the sea, a charging-door at its upper part for the insertion of torpedoes, and mechanism in its interior for shifting the floating torpedoes, said mechanism being operatable from the exterior of the magazine.

4. A boat orvessel having an expulsiontube, and having within it a watertight magazine to contain torpedoes, said magazine being connected with the said expulsiontube for discharging the torpedoes, and having a charging-door at its upper part for the insertion of torpedoes and a valve-controlled connection with the sea for flooding it and floating the contained torpedoes.

5. A boat or vessel having an expulsiontube forward, and having within it an up right, water-tight magazine forcontaining torpedoes, said magazine having a valve-controlled connection at its bottom with the sea, a charging-door at the upper part, a connection at its forward end with the expulsiontube, and being provided with means for shifting the floating torpedoes therein into alinement with the expulsion-tube.

6. A boat or vessel provided with an expulsion-tube, and a water-tight magazine connected with the sea and with the said expulsion-tube, said magazine being provided with a charging-door for the insertion of torpedoes, mechanism in its interior for shifting the contained floating torpedoes into alinement with the expulsion-tube, and mechanism for advancing and expelling the torpedo.

7. A boat or vessel provided with an expulsion-tube and with a magazine to contain The diver may now pass out at the torpedoes, said magazine having connections with the sea for flooding it, a charging-door for the insertion of torpedoes at its upper part, and being connected with the expulsion-tube and provided interiorly with endless carriers for shifting the torpedoes'up and down, means for advancing the floating torpedoes in the magazine, and hinged guides for the superposed and floating torpedoes.

8. A boat or vessel provided with an expulsion-tube and having in it a magazine for floating torpedoes, connected at its end with said expulsion-tube, and below with the sea for flooding it, said magazine being upright and of suflicient width to accommodate a plurality of superposed and submerged torpedoes, and provided interiorly with upright carriers for shifting the torpedoes up and down, means for advancing the torpedoes to the expelling position, means for imparting an impetus to the torpedo, and means for guiding them, in combination with means for opening the outboard-cap of the expulsiontube and simultaneously setting in motion the motor of the torpedo.

9. A boat or vessel provided with an expulsion-tube, an outboard-cap therefor, means for opening said cap, and an upright magazine connected at its end with said expulsion-tube and at its: bottom with the sea for flooding, and said magazine having within it endless carriers for shifting the torpedoes up and down, hinged guides for the superposed floating torpedoes in the magazine, and means for advancing a torpedo alined with the expulsion-tube, said means comprising a depressible hook to engage the torpedo, means for depressing said hook from outside the magazine, and a rack device for advancing said hook, said rack device being operatable from outside the magazine.

10. A boat or vessel having an expulsiontube, and a torpedo -magazine connected with said tube and with the sea for flooding, said magazine being provided with means for advancing a torpedo into position for expelling it, and means for imparting to it the expelling impetus, said means comprising an ejector E, means for moving said ejector into and out of position behind the torpedo, and cock-controlled means for supplying compressed air to the cylinder of said ejector.

11. A boat or vessel, having an eXpulsiontube, an outboard-cap for same, a torpedomagazine connected with the inboard end of said expulsion-tube, and with the sea for flooding, means for advancing a torpedo in the magazine to the expulsion position, an ejector in the magazine, means for moving said ejector into position behind the advanced torpedo, and means, actuated by the said outboard-cap when opened, for setting in motion the motor of the torpedo and for admittin compressed air to the ejector.

12. A oat or vessel having an expulsiontube, and a torpedo -magazine connected with the said tube and with the sea for flooding, such magazine being provided with a movable barrier to prevent the premature advance of the torpedo, said barrier consisting of slidable clamps coupled to move in unison and means for moving them.

13. A boator vessel having an expulsiontube and a torpedo-magazine connected with said tube and with the sea for flooding, said magazine being provided with means for moving the torpedo forward to the expelling-point, means for imparting an ejecting or expelling impetus to the torpedo, means for setting the motor of the torpedo in motion, and means for holding the propeller of the war-head of the torpedo against premature rotation, said means comprising a suspended arm 43, which engages said propeller, means for lock ing said arm in position while the expulsiontube is closed, and an automatic latch device which holds said arm up when lifted.

14. In a device for the purpose specified, the upright magazine having means for flooding it, the slotted rocking tube 49 mounted in themagazine, means for rocking said tube, the spring 49 for returning said tube after it has been rocked, the rack-bar slidably mounted in the tube, the hook 54 carried by said rack-bar, the pinion 56 gearing with said rack-bar, and means for rotating said pinion.

15. In a device for'the purpose specified, the upright magazine, having means for flooding it, the ejector, comprising a cylinder 120, a piston 121 in the latter, the headed rod of said piston, and the pistonspring 123, the swiveled supporting air-pipe 10 1 of the ejector, cock-controlled means for admitting air to the cylinder of the ejector, means for advancing the torpedo in the magazine, and intermediate mechanism between the last named means and the ejector for automatically swinging the latter into position when the torpedo is advanced.

16. In a device for the purpose specified, the upright magazine 1, having connection with the sea for flooding, means for shifting the floating torpedoes up and down, and movable guiding devices for the superposed torpedoes, said guiding devices comprising the pairs of guides 12, hinged on upright axes and shaped to fit about the torpedoes, means connecting said guides and compelling them to swing in unison, and means, operated from the exterior of the magazine, for actuating said guides.

17. In a device for the purpose specified, the combination with the pairs of swinging guides 12, for the torpedo, of the links 28, 29, connected with said guides 12 and forming a guideway for the guide-piece on the torpedo.

18. In a device for the purpose set forth, the coacting combination of the following instrumentalities, namely, the hinged outboard-cap 3, the ejector, the cock controlling the admission of air to the ejector, a means operatively connecting the arm of said cock with said cap, means for swinging the ejector into position behind a torpedo, and means for operating said cap.

19. In a device for the purpose specified,

the combination of the following coacting instrumentalities, namely, the hinged outboard-cap 3, the ejector, the cock controlling the admission of air to the ejector, means operatively connecting the arm of said cock with said cap, the interposing lever 80, means operatively connecting said cap 3 with said lever 80, means for swinging the ejector into position behind the torpedo, and means for opening the cap 3.

20. A boat or vessel having in it a torpedomagazine, provided with a valve-controlled connection with the sea, with a manholeopening into the said boat or vessel and a capped expulsion for the torpedoes connecting the magazine with the water of flotation.

21. A boat or vessel having in it a magazine for torpedoes, provided with a valvecontrolled connection with the sea for flooding, a manhole for the insertion or withdrawal of torpedoes, and a carrier in the boat for the torpedoes, said carrier having means for raising and lowering it and for moving it toward and from the magazine.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 6th day of August, 1904, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS JOSEPH MORIARTY.

Witnesses:

H. G. TUTHILL, T. S. BAILEY. 

